SSAT Character Skills Snapshot

Bonus Material: PrepMaven’s SSAT Guidebook

The Secondary Schools Admissions Test (SSAT) is a common requirement for students applying to select private schools.

There’s a lot that goes into preparing for the SSAT, which we do our best here at PrepMaven to assist with.

But there’s one part of SSAT prep that students may not be aware of: the SSAT Character Skills Snapshot. This additional, twenty-minute assessment gives schools yet another benchmark with which to assess applicants.

The Snapshot is a free add-on for students sitting for the SSAT. Those who aren’t taking the SSAT must pay a fee to take the assessment.

What exactly is this Snapshot, and what do you need to know about it? We answer these questions and several more in this comprehensive post. Plus, we give you access to our free SSAT Guidebook. You can grab this now by clicking the button below.

Here’s what we cover:

• The SSAT Character Skills Snapshot: The Nutshell
• Snapshot Sample Questions
• Who Uses This?
• Registering for the Snapshot
• Taking the Snapshot Assessment
• Sending Snapshot Reports to Schools
• Bonus: PrepMaven’s SSAT Guidebook

---

The SSAT Character Skills Snapshot: The Nutshell

There’s more to the SSAT than just the test itself. Students have the option of taking the SSAT Character Skills Snapshot, an additional online assessment that is meant to give schools a “richer holistic view” of an applicant.

Here’s what SSAT.org says about the Snapshot on its website:

It measures your student’s view of his/her character skill development and is meant to complement more traditional cognitive assessments such as the SSAT. The Character Skills Snapshot gives admission teams additional information and illuminates areas where their schools can help your student grow, thrive, and shine. 

Also according to SSAT.org, the SSAT Character Skills Snapshot tests a wide range of character traits, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Teamwork
• Social Awareness
• Resilience
• Self-Control
• Openmindedness
• Initiative
• Intellectual engagement

You can check out the Character Skills Card for more details here.

This online assessment takes approximately twenty minutes to complete, and can be completed in one sitting at home. Students who are in grades 5 through 11 applying to grades 6-12 are eligible to take the Snapshot.

SSAT.org admits that the Snapshot may not be representative of the full scope of a student’s character:

The Snapshot is meant to provide a snapshot in time of your student’s view of his/her character skills – it is not a fixed, absolute measure.

While we agree that it’s pretty challenging to assess a person’s full character in twenty minutes, the Snapshot can provide potentially valuable information not otherwise able to be gleaned from other parts of an application.

Want more information on preparing for the SSAT? We discuss the Snapshot and more in our detailed SSAT Guidebook, which you can download for free below.

Download SSAT Guidebook

---

SSAT Character Skills Snapshot Sample Questions

This may all sound well and good, but what do students have to do in those twenty minutes it takes to complete the assessment?

Luckily, the SSAT.org does provide some sample questions students can peruse in anticipation of taking the Snapshot. Students can expect to encounter two types of questions on this assessment:

1. Forced-choice
2. Situational judgments

Forced-choice questions ask students to choose responses to certain statements based off of what they feel describes them best. Here is an example:

Students shouldn’t overthink these questions–simply identify what you feel best reflects you!

Situational judgments present a general situation and ask students to assess the appropriateness of responses to this situation. Here is an example:

Once again, don’t try to overthink these questions–simply identify what you personally feel represents an appropriate / inappropriate / neutral response to the described situation.

---

Who Uses This?

The SSAT Character Skills Snapshot gives schools supplemental information about applicants that may or may not be present in other application materials.

It is essentially designed to complement existing materials, which include the following:

• application essay(s)
• SSAT scores
• transcripts
• and interviews

However, not all schools require that applicants take the Snapshot! In fact, it’s best to consult your schools of choice prior to taking the Snapshot to see what role it plays in the admissions process. SSAT.org does provide a School List of private institutions, but still encourages applicants to contact admissions offices to see if the Snapshot is required.

If a school does require applicants to submit the Snapshot, admissions officers are likely to use Snapshot Reports very differently. Some may place a lot of emphasis on it, while others may not–similar to the way that officers analyze SSAT scores!

For example, the Lawrenceville School strongly recommends that applicants take the Character Skills Snapshot. Here’s what it says on its website:

All applicants to Lawrenceville are strongly recommended to submit the Character Skills Snapshot. Lawrenceville is more than just a place where you will learn math, English and science. We believe the reason you are considering Lawrenceville is because you’re interested in an education that goes beyond the classroom and encourages personal growth. Similarly, we know that you are much more than grades and test scores. That’s why we’re asking you to take the Character Skills Snapshot, which looks at eight non-cognitive areas, and will hopefully be a fun, exploratory exercise for applicants. For the applicants who submit it, the CSS will provide us with richer information about you, and show us areas where our community can help you grow, thrive, and shine. 

Want more information on preparing for the SSAT? We discuss the Snapshot and more in our detailed SSAT Guidebook, which you can download for free below.

Download SSAT Guidebook

---

Registering for the Snapshot

It’s relatively straightforward to register for the Character Skills Snapshot.

If you are registering for the SSAT exam, simply click the “Snapshot” link on the homepage of your parent/guardian account to register for this as well.

Parents will have to review a consent form and candidate agreement form to complete Snapshot registration.

Registration is free if you are an SSAT test-taker. You can still take the Snapshot if you aren’t signed up for an SSAT exam, but you’ll have to pay a fee of $35 to do so.

Please note: You can only register for the SSAT Snapshot through a parent/guardian account. You can only take the Snapshot via a student account.

---

Taking the Snapshot Assessment

Once you’ve registered for the Character Skills Assessment, you can essentially take it whenever you wish. The assessment is on-demand, meaning it is designed to be taken at leisure.

We recommend that students take the Snapshot as soon as possible, to ensure on-time reporting. Getting it out of the way will also free up time for your SSAT prep!

When you’re ready to take the assessment, all you have to do is log in to your student SSAT account. On your homepage, you’ll see a “Take the Snapshot” icon. Click this, submit the integrity statement, and begin the Snapshot. It’s as easy as that!

---

Sending Snapshot Reports to Schools

Students receive a Snapshot Report after they’ve completed the Snapshot, but this doesn’t necessarily happen right away. Reports are released according to a very specific schedule SSAT.org outlines on its website:

So, as an example, if you take the Snapshot on February 7th, 2020, you’ll be able to view your Report on February 13th, 2020.

To view reports, navigate to the homepage of a parent/guardian SSAT account. Click “View Results Details” under the section that states that Snapshot Results are ready to view.

We encourage parents to download a PDF of these reports, in case schools request (for any reason) a paper copy.

From here, you’ll be able to search for schools that accept the Snapshot and submit the Report directly through this portal. For more information, view SSAT.org’s guide to sending Snapshot Reports here.

---

Download PrepMaven’s SSAT Guidebook

The SSAT Character Skills Snapshot gives schools a greater sense of applicants’ perspectives of the world and others. It can also be a valuable addition to other required application materials, such as application materials and SSAT scores.

Remember that taking the Snapshot is free if you’re registered for an SSAT exam. We recommend that families register for the Snapshot when signing up for the SSAT itself, just to be safe.

At Prep Maven, we are here to help students experience success on the SSAT and beyond. That’s why we created our free SSAT Guidebook, an excellent resource for families navigating secondary school admissions.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• 90+ pages of valuable SSAT guidance
• Details about SSAT scoring, content, testing options, and more
• An introduction to PrepMaven’s SSAT strategies for all 5 sections of the test
• Information about SSAT prep resources
• Application essentials for the top U.S. private high schools
• and much more!

Download SSAT Guidebook

---

Kate

Kate is a graduate of Princeton University. Over the last decade, Kate has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay.